Editorial: City of Homes must build on hope

When sizing up the quality of life in Springfield, residents of the City of Homes are holding up half-full glasses, according to a new poll. But residents of surrounding communities aren’t as optimistic in their perception of the region’s largest city, according to a new Western New England College Polling Institute survey released on Wednesday.

While Springfield residents are worried about quality-of-life issues – including crime, underperforming schools and a lack of jobs – they’re surprisingly upbeat about the future of the region’s largest city, the survey showed.

Suburban residents surveyed also expressed concerns about public safety and the city’s school system – but to a greater degree than Springfield residents did. And they were more pessimistic about the city’s outlook five years from now.

The survey also showed that Springfield residents like where they live. Two-thirds rated their neighborhoods as excellent or good places in which to live.

The hope expressed by city residents – and the strength of the city’s neighborhoods – offer the region something to build on.

We believe Springfield’s public officials, business leaders and residents can – and must – tackle the problems facing the city. Failure is not an option if the city hopes to remain a desirable place to live.

We believe there is reason to hope.

The state’s new education reform bill is poised to provide resources to help underperforming schools in Springfield by lifting the cap on charter schools. We believe the right application of resources and commitment can provide the poorest inner-city kids with educational results comparable to those in white, upper-middle class suburbs.

As for crime reduction, new tools and knowledge exist to make progress in that fight too. What is needed is the will and the resources. Springfield residents aren’t giving up on the city, and neither should the people who live outside its limits.